Blog Hopping

A few times a week I go blog hopping: starting with one blog that I visit regularly, I read the day's comments and then click on one of the commentators and hop over to their blog.  From there, hop to another commentator's blog, and so on.  It's addictive, but so entertaining and inspiring.  Today I began in Vermont (above) and hopped to France and Luxembourg and Australia, etc., a great romp!

A few of the stops are pictured below:

I love the serendipity of what I discover.  

Do YOU blog-hop?

Mishmasheroni

During this post-Thanksgiving weekend, everything is a jumble - what I call 'mishmasheroni':  clearing up from the holiday, catching up with mail and chores, and creating order on the desk to return to a work-in-progress.

In the midst of this bustle, two photographs arrived. 

This first one (above) is of my six-year-old grandson being a soldier.  

That's a crab pot strainer helmet.  

Of course.

When my own son was young, I didn't buy him toy guns,

but he fashioned guns out of sticks 

and helmets out of pots

nonetheless.

The second photo (below) came from my friend Louise. Her dog had pups.  Two of them:

I mean: really.

Who could resist these?

They will be trained by Fidelco to be guide dogs.

Lucky future owners, mm?

And that is my mishmasheroni for today.

I hope you're having a good weekend, wherever you are.

Walk Two Moons Covers, Part II

(See yesterday's post for Part I)

Continuing yesterday's topic, below are additional book covers for foreign translations of Walk Two Moons:

The red convertible and turkey on the Polish edition (image 2, bottom left) are . . .surprising; the Korean cover in third image (bottom) seems to depict another story entirely.  

I tend to favor covers that do not depict a character on the cover, leaving the reader to 'cast' the character in his/her own mind.

What do you think?  Any favorites or not-favorites among these?

Walk Two Moons Covers, Part I

Original American cover for Walk Two Moons

One of the American paperback covers.

I am intrigued by alternate covers for books, especially those printed in other countries. Book covers say so much about each publisher's sense of the best market for the book. You will see, below, a range of styles.  Perhaps you will choose a favorite?  And a least favorite?

British paperback covers. 

Although I am now consulted on the American covers and sometimes the British, I don't see the others until after they are published.

To be continued tomorrow.  .  .

Meanwhile, do you have any favorites or least-favorites from the above?

November

A hawk hovering in our yard, waiting to scoop up dinner in the form of a chipmunk.

Squirrel stopping for a snack on the steps.

I am inside, writing my words, my mind half in and half out of the window.

The Eyes Have It

I am drawn to eyes

pulled in by them

This is how I know someone:

by their eyes

their eyes

their eyes

. . .

Love that Pup, Love those Kids

Roan

This is Roan, my grandchildren's new pup, a rescue dog part-Australian Shepherd and part Dachshund. 

He is the softest, sweetest, floppiest dog I've ever met. Look at that face. 

My husband and I have just returned from visiting our daughter and grandchildren. We are besotted with the grandchildren - and now - the puppy, too. But I won't blather on about it.  I don't have the right words to tell you without sounding enormously sappy.

It was hard to leave.

Walk Two Moons: the Chicago Performance

On Saturday, my husband and I attended Adventure Stage's brilliant, lively, engaging performance of Walk Two Moons at the Vittum Theater in Chicago.  Wow!

It seemed fitting and perfect that the play was opening in Chicago, for that is where I received the Newbery Medal for this book in June, 1995.

The Adventure Stage group put on a professional, polished ensemble production that moved me greatly. Laughed. Cried. Loved the actors, director, crew, playwright.  Everyone.  Full house - a beautiful audience with a great mix of students, parents, teachers, librarians and general public.  Wonderful, cozy theater.

The above shot is an attempt to capture the giant poster advertising the play. That's me and a mysterious red-hooded child in the reflection.

After the play, I joined the cast and playwright onstage for 'talk back' - taking questions, both serious and humorous, from the audience.  Following that was a reception for all (with ice cream) and book signing.

We loved it all.  The next morning, before we left for the airport, we took a walk on Michigan Avenue.

Sun, tall buildings, blue sky, people strolling and running.

And this great statue of Marilyn Monroe.

We watched as so many tourists posed beneath her . . .

and they all looked UP.

No, we didn't do it.

Too shy?

Bye, bye, Chicago.

(The play runs through December 3. More info at AdventureStage.org)

Walk Two Moons on Stage

The Adventure Stage in Chicago has adapted Walk Two Moons for the stage, opening today for students and on Saturday for the public.  I'll be there on Saturday.  Can't wait!

It is an odd experience to see your words acted out by others and to see and hear the audience's reactions. It's as if you are viewing someone else's creation - which, in part, it is - but a creation that is so intimate, so familiar, that you feel disoriented, but in a good way.

There is more information here:

Adventure Stage: Walk Two Moons

If you're in Chicago, go see it. It runs November 5 - December 3.  Ticket information at above link.

Huzza, huzza --

Love That Dog, Hate That Cat

Occasionally - no, often - in the blur of everyday normal chaos, things are forgotten.  I don't have to explain; you know how it is - birthdays, keys, appointments, gloves, notes, watch, phone.

And when you are writing a novel, you are trying to keep a thousand other details in your head - details of plot and character and setting and dialogue, of structure and tone and style. And then as the book nears publication, you are trying to retain details about book jackets and flap copy and marketing and promotion. All good stuff.

But sometimes you forget some of that good stuff.  Yesterday I came across a terrific teaching guide for Love That Dog and Hate That Cat. 

Here is where I found it:  Love That Dog and Hate That Cat Teaching Guide 

It has probably been there a couple years, and I had forgotten all about it. Great surprise!

So if you're a teacher or librarian or reader, you might want to hop over there and take a look or download a copy.  Free.

Cool, mm?  Love that publisher.